Housewares mega-retailer IKEA has announced that it will stop selling traditional incandescent light bulbs in its U.S. stores effective January 1, 2011. This fall, IKEA will introduce a “retro-fit” halogen bulb that fits in a conventional socket and produces warm light with a third less electricity.

Despite dramatic energy savings, CFLs and LED bulbs have had a hard time carving out market share, even as their quality of light has improved, simply because they cost more at the checkout counter. “By only putting good options on the shelf, retailers can make it easy for customers to do the right thing,” said Jason Clay, Senior Vice President of Markets at World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Although the Swedish company is notorious for making tons of stuff that doesn’t last, its sustainability efforts are the real deal. It uses sustainably forested wood, and was a leader in offering in-store safe disposal of mercury-containing CFL bulbs. Its current effort puts it two years ahead of the federal government, which will begin phasing out incandescent bulbs in 2012. The energy sucking bulbs are already banned in Europe.

I think it sucks. Industry has yet to create an aesthetically pleasing alternative to incandescents, which remain the only descent choice for certain lighting applications. Fluorescents make human skin look sallow and food unappetizing, no matter what filter has been applied to the casing. Consistent color cast is impossible to achieve CFL, even warm bulbs will vary widely from bulb to bulb. And LEDs are FREAK lights that strobe in one’s peripheral vision and leave ‘trails’ in one’s retina. I’ll be stockpiling a 10-year supply of tungsten in hopes that technology will solve the ugly lighting problem before it runs out.

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Alex AndersonJuly 13, 2010 at 4:40 am

I really welcome and appreciate IKEA’s recent decision to stop selling traditional incandescent light bulbs in the U.S. and I hope other companies do the same in the near future. Traditional light bulbs were considered useful things in the past but they should not be used anymore from now on.
Keep up the good work IKEA.